Could these menuki be from Ezo school?

[Kurikata]

Hi,

 

Difficult to see them clearly behind the tsuka ito but could these menuki be from Ezo school?

 

Thank you

 

[Kurikata]

[Kurikata]

[Bazza]

I don't think so as they don't have the requisite degree of 'silver' colour in the alloy...

 

BaZZa.

[Kurikata]

Bazza just to confirm after a close look, that they are fully coper but their design make me think they might be from muromachi erea. Thank you for your interest.

[Bazza]

Hi Bruno,

 

Please find attached image of my Muromachi Ezo menuki and FYI here is the description I got with them:

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Mumei Ezo 蝦夷 menuki, Edaume no Zu 枝梅図 (Figure of Plum branch), Yamagane-ji 山銅地 (unrefined copper surface), 容彫地透 katachi-bori ji-sukashi (open work carved with the motif in full), 金色繪 Gold Iroe. They have Inyô 陰陽 (male-female) style posts. Inyou also translates to dual forces, yin and yang, sun and moon, etc.

I believe these menuki date to the late Muromachi to Azuchi-Momoyama period 室町時代後期 - 安土桃山時代,.

These floral menuki are very closely related in design and appearance to Ko Mino 古美濃 work, and since Ko Mino development is rooted to a considerable extent in Ezo 蝦夷, It is suggested these menuki would probably date a bit later, to sometime around the 1500s - 1560s.

At the end of the 1970s Mr. Tom Buttweiler wrote his very informative article on the Ezo fittings and to this day it is the most ever written on the subject. It was hailed by Sasano Masayuki as being a great study on Ezo.

The sizes are as follows. Hidari 左: 19.6mm x 45.3.mm x 4.3 mm. Migi 右: 19.1 mm x 46.5 mm x 4.3 mm.

Hakogaki by Kanzan Sato.

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Best  regards,

BaZZa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by Bazza
Correction

[ROKUJURO]

15 hours ago, Kurikata said:

.....they are fully copper ......

Bruno,

on my screen the colour of the MENUKI is more like brass, not copper.

Generally, I think it is difficult to judge MENUKI when they are hidden under the TSUKA-ITO. In your case I think I see hints that they might not be traditionally made, but the photos are not too good, and - as said above - an assessment is difficult.

Probably better photos (or betters eyes than mine) will prove that I am wrong.

[Kurikata]

Thank you @BazzaBazza for these very fine exemples.  @ROKUJURO Jean you are perfectly right, it is more brass than copper and yes my pictures are very bad and you have eagle eyes. A Last attempt With a (i hope) better picture.

[Iekatsu]

I agree with the others, not Ezo. The motif is Japanese peppercorns, its common in mino work. 

 

 

[Kurikata]

Thank you @IekatsuThomas to have given an information i didn't have.